One

After circling a few times in the bustling city center, I finally found an open sweet potato noodle shop where I could sit down and enjoy a meal in peace. The owner of the shop was very kind; upon seeing my somewhat familiar face, the first thing he said was: "Xiao Su, you are back to see your mother!"

Taking a few steps forward, I saw that Lin Fang had already entered the house. Through the dimly lit window, I could see her smiling and chatting with the man in an apron who was cooking for her. The aroma of the food was truly enticing, and Lin Fang wore a satisfied smile on her face. At that moment, my stomach unceremoniously growled, yet I ultimately did not go up to ring the doorbell

I know that I do not truly wish to live a life of indulgence and idleness

Thinking this way, I began to feel sorry for my mother again. She is naive and particularly easy to be deceived. This father-daughter duo is quite cunning, and I truly fear that one day she might be sold. In fact, a significant part of the conflict between Chen Pei and me also stems from my mother. I am a Taurus who believes in keeping wealth within my own family and places great importance on money. Having lived through many hardships, I have become quite shrewd.

I did not expect him to recognize me immediately, especially since I have grown my hair long and am no longer the same tomboyish figure I used to be. I am not very good at superficial pleasantries, and for a moment, I felt a bit awkward, so I could only smile foolishly and nod.

Of course, these three bowls were mostly eaten by me. He asked a lot about my situation, and I also learned that he has a great reputation at school. I should be afraid of him, but for some reason, he gave me a strong sense of security. It was as if what he said was true: with him around, I could do anything.

At that moment, when I saw Lin Fang chasing Ai Qing out of the house, cheerfully stuffing a large bag of snacks into that fake LV bag, I realized this so clearly

In fact, when he said this, he was completely joking, but I, who had elevated my self-esteem to the status of a deity, suddenly burst into tears. For so many days, hunger, fear, loneliness, and sadness pressed down on my tender heart like a heavy weight, and his words acted like a key, instantly unlocking all my negative emotions, which poured out like a flood.

These individuals immediately diverted my waning attention

It was a cold, rainy day when he, dressed in a clean leather jacket and sporting a neat crew cut, expressionlessly moved a stool and sat down in front of me

I did not expect you to call me. I deliberately raised my voice, hoping to sound like a girl in love. Unfortunately, picking up the long-lost girlish shyness, I still felt somewhat out of place.

It is obvious without thinking that she, a person with an extremely sensitive sense of smell, must have detected the scent of my smoking and the burning of photographs from last night. My bedroom has a small balcony, which serves as my exclusive secret base. In the stillness of the night, I occasionally go there to engage in activities that I would not normally do.

Uh... I am feeling a bit unwell today and am resting at home, I really don't have the energy to go out. My eyelids aren't even fluttering, I started to lie casually, "However, I am very happy that you called me!"

Later, I discovered that my mother would take a portion of the money to give to Ai Qing.

She is even kinder to Ai Qing than she is to me. I feel very discouraged about this, and I haven't seen her for a long time. This time marks the first visit after a long period.

After I finished eating and realized I did not have enough money to pay, he appeared out of nowhere and generously handed the money to the cashier, thus sparing me from embarrassment

In fact, I am very nervous

Is your true nature exposed? Just one Jiono makes you stop pretending to be a little white rabbit, doesn't it

For example, yesterday

Long time no see, Dong Mingyang

After hanging up the phone, I let out a long sigh, and suddenly I had no appetite at all

It is quite nice to come back and visit often; your mother probably misses you a lot

He said that it was at that moment that he developed the thought of protecting me

Perhaps I am truly ill

I burned all the photos of my childhood with Su Yuan, and then, as an exception, I smoked a cigarette. The smell of burning and smoke was indeed quite strong, but I was too lazy to air it out, so I covered myself with the blanket and fell asleep. As a result, Chen Pei barged in, rudely yanked my blanket away, and shouted at me, which did not surprise me at all

This person is truly impressive, so much so that even seeing his name makes me feel nervous. After hesitating for a few seconds in a state of surrender, I reluctantly answered the call

He reached out with his long arm and ruffled my hair

But after I completed this action, I couldn't help but chuckle, for she did not turn back to look at me at all, but hurriedly turned around and went home

Yes, indeed

I am very lonely, I just need a warm meal made by someone else's hands, and I need a person who is willing to sincerely talk with me. Yet, how reluctant I am to admit this to anyone.

As I looked at the half-eaten sweet potato noodles, a sense of unease began to grow within me, and this unease annoyed me. I did not feel the excitement I had imagined. Perhaps, regarding him, I might not even have the basic fondness required to be friends. Maybe it is because he is someone I must please, which creates a psychological resistance within me.

The corners of my mouth involuntarily lifted as I looked at him with a mix of grievance and sadness

Chen Pei inadvertently discovered this and assumed that Su Yuan still cared about my mother. As a result, during that period, the household was in chaos, and he became increasingly unfriendly towards me

Looking at his familiar brows and eyes, I suddenly felt a kind of pretentious heartache

But I know I cannot underestimate this man, after all, my mother has had several boyfriends, and none of them could handle her and make her obedient.

Guan Yue has her own apartment in the city center. Whenever I have free time, I often go to her place, but the so-called "having something to do" usually means that Guan Xia is there. According to Guan Yue, Guan Xia and I are like the two ancestors in her life; when the two ancestors meet, it is like Mars colliding with the Earth. So, as I said, it is best to avoid running into each other.

His tone was calm as usual, yet in that moment, my heart was strangely pounding. However, before I could figure out how to respond, he spoke up: "Then you should rest well, and I'll arrange to meet you next time."

As I was eating sweet potato noodles and fiddling with my phone, I was contemplating whether to reach out to him. Suddenly, a phone call came in. In that instant, I surprisingly felt a bit flustered

Speaking of which, this sweet potato noodle shop is one of the most memorable places for me during my three years here. At that time, Lin Fang left me a week's worth of meal expenses while she went on a trip.

The arm carrying the not-so-light fruit felt somewhat heavy, and I instinctively pulled the hood of my hoodie over my head, so that she would not be able to recognize me from a distance as soon as she regained her senses

Although Chen Pei exudes an undeniable worldly aura, she particularly dislikes the smell of smoke due to her nasal issues. Because of this problem, she has caused me trouble in front of Su Yuan on more than one occasion, and each time I have obediently apologized and acted with greater caution.

I still want to eat

The last boy, meeting my gaze, strode towards me with large steps, casually pulled out a chair, removed his cap, and sat down in front of me with considerable presence

Humans are truly a remarkable species; they can turn against their closest relatives, yet they can also feel a deep connection with someone who shares no blood relation.

As someone who has been through thick and thin in the slums of the city for three years, almost competing with beggars, I do not believe I cannot outplay her. However, Su Yuan is particularly obedient to her, which significantly reduces my allowance

Her residence is quite far from here. I walked for quite a while before I reached the bus stop and waited for the bus that goes directly to her place. I don't go there often because I really don't want to see those two big troubles. One of them is Ai Qing, who keeps calling me "sister." She is the daughter of my mother's cohabiting boyfriend, one year younger than me, and attends a low-tier vocational school. Her father is Ai He, a bartender at a shabby bar, and he is quite old, having never done a proper job in his life. Many times, I feel that my mother must have been cursed to be with him.

After a few seconds of mutual silence, Qiao Nuo chuckled and spoke up

That is their small home, a single-story bungalow, with lush branches and leaves sprawling over the dark red bricks and tiles. The house is surrounded by a small courtyard, and the courtyard's door, originally made of silver stainless steel, was later intentionally painted black for aesthetic purposes

After speaking, all I received in response was a series of busy signals

Although I was born after my mother carried me for ten months, she is the kind of person who easily gets swayed by anyone who treats her well, making her susceptible to being brainwashed by Ai Qing. If I don't go to see her soon, she might even start to believe that Ai Qing is her biological daughter. Thinking of this, I felt a bit heavy-hearted, and when I got off the car, I bought some fruits that she loves to eat from the fruit shop

That place once bore my traces, but later inhabitants have completely erased all evidence of my existence. Perhaps, I am the only one who is superfluous.

Infertility is a difficult condition to treat; I hope that one day you will have your wishes fulfilled

It is Jono

That day, he accompanied me in eating three bowls of sweet potato noodles

It is impossible to say that I was not anxious; having just experienced a tremendous change in my life, it would not be an exaggeration to say that I was as timid as a mouse. He stared at me intently, and after a long while, he finally spoke, "Seeing you, young lady, dressed so neatly, you don't look like a beggar, yet you are starving more exaggeratedly than a beggar."

What do you want to eat? he asked me directly

The nanny beside me kept urging, but she was still chattering incessantly as if she had been shot. I was too lazy to argue with her, so I obediently got up and put on my clothes. I have a bad habit of letting words I don't want to hear go in one ear and out the other. Therefore, when she finally got tired of scolding and stood in front of me panting, I merely glanced at her indifferently.

This is a small secret and bad habit left over from my adolescence, which abruptly ceased when I was kicked out of my home at the age of fifteen, but has reignited upon my return here

It was at that time that I met the first handsome friend of my life. For the first time, I realized that being good-looking could be a means of making a living

Lin Fang is my mother, a mother as beautiful as a dodder flower

His name is Dong Mingyang, he is three years older than me, and it is said that he is quite famous in this area, everyone gives him face

Alright, I will definitely do it next time

I dejectedly put the hood of my hoodie back on

Just as she was frantically searching for something in my room to use to hit me, I grabbed my canvas bag and strode out decisively

She was blushing, looking extremely comical

At that moment, several middle-aged men entered one after another, and the last to come in was a young man dressed in a black leather jacket, sporting a neat short haircut, and wearing a flat-brimmed cap

As I stepped out of my front door, I couldn't help but call Guan Yue to report my heroic deeds. Guan Yue laughed heartily. I was about to mention that I wanted to go over to her place for a meal, but she rejected me with a single sentence

Let's not talk about it for now, Guan Xia is coming to see me today! My dear, I will call you back later. If he finds out that I went to the bar again last night, I will be in big trouble!

After much contemplation, I have decided to return home to see my mother, even though that place hardly qualifies as my home. I suddenly miss her; every time I have an argument with Chen Pei here, I find myself particularly longing for her.

Would you like to go out for lunch together? I do not eat fish

He is a man, and he suddenly panicked. Later, I learned that he is particularly afraid of girls crying, especially afraid of me crying

All my survival resources depended on that little money, but I lost it. I cannot reach Lin Fang, and I cannot bring myself to borrow money. After finishing the instant noodles at home, I endured hunger for two to three days.

Oh, I see

But why are my eyes moist, as if it has just rained

Boss, please bring a bowl of sweet potato noodles, extra spicy and less vinegar

The reason he came over to help me pay was indeed because I looked good. Seeing me cry more and more intensely, he hurried to apologize, but after talking for a long time, it was of no use at all. After I had cried enough, I instead calmly said to him:

The not-so-early sunlight is somewhat dazzling, I lean against the headboard, lazily watching her while yawning

Long time no see, young lady

Sometimes I smoke a cigarette, sometimes I drink a bottle of wine, sometimes I destroy something

Su Jing'an, let me tell you, this home does not belong to you; it belongs to the child that will be in my future womb. Do not act so arrogantly towards me!

After Su Yuan took me back, he did not treat me poorly in material terms, but he does not know that I have secretly saved the money to give to my mother to spend

I hung the fruit on the front door, took off my hat, assumed a relatively graceful posture, and turned to leave

The first reaction when trouble arises is to run away, which is my basic principle of survival. Therefore, I hardly ever wear skirts, as it is more convenient to escape that way

It is nothing significant; when hungry, one eats, and when thirsty, one drinks. This world is just that simple

I do not have a smoking addiction, nor do I enjoy heavy drinking; I am simply more inclined to make her uncomfortable

The next morning, I woke up to Chen Peifu's exaggerated screams.

Leaning back in my chair, I stared blankly at the sky outside as it gradually turned gray, the clouds thickening slowly. I reached my hand out the window, and I noticed that, at some unknown time, a light drizzle had begun to fall. I sat there in a daze, my mind filled with a jumble of incoherent thoughts

The boss is quite knowledgeable about the affairs of the neighbors, so he is also aware of my return to a wealthy lifestyle. The sweet potato starch was quickly served, and I added a generous amount of chili, mixed it up, and began to eat heartily.

Su Jing'an! She was so angry that her eyes turned red

Speaking of which, I haven't seen him for a long time. He has recently gone out of town, and most of the time we communicate by phone. I am not worried about him; he has his own abilities. I won't pry into his affairs, as long as he is not getting into fights or doing bad things, it's all fine.

However, I am indifferent